Women's Protection Units Negotiate Role in New Syrian Government

The Women's Protection Units (YPJ), an all-female Kurdish fighting force, are seeking to maintain an organized combat role within the new Syrian state following the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces. The group initially proposed joining the military as an independent brigade or battalion to leverage their expertise, but President Ahmed al-Sharaa rejected the proposal.

Following this rejection, YPJ leadership entered negotiations with the interior ministry. The YPJ has suggested joining special operations forces, while the interior ministry has proposed deploying fighters across all of Syria rather than restricting them to a specific geographic zone. Interior ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba stated that YPJ fighters would be welcomed into the ministry's ranks.

These talks occur amid deep Kurdish distrust of the administration. Concerns center on the government's history of violence against minorities and the fact that President al-Sharaa previously led the Syria branch of Al Qaeda.